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The Story of Ishmael (Isma'eel)
Imam Ibn Kathir Ad-Dimashqi
eBook: Stories of the Prophets
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"Then Abraham stayed away from them for a period as long as Allah wished and called on them again but did not find Ishmael. So he came to Ishmael's wife and asked her about Ishmael. She said: 'he has gone in search of our livelihood.' Abraham asked her; 'how are you getting on?' asking her about their sustenance and living. she replied: 'we are prosperous and well off (we have everything in abundance).' then she thanked Allah. Abraham said: 'What kind of food do you eat?' she said: 'meat.' he said: 'what do you drink?' she said: 'water.' he said: 'O Allah! bless their meat and water.'"
The Prophet (pbuh) added: "At that time they did not have grain, and if they had grain he would have also invoked Allah to bless it. If somebody has only these two things as his sustenance, his health and disposition will be badly affected unless he lives in Mecca."
The Prophet (pbuh) continued: "Then Abraham said to Ishmael's wife: 'When your husband comes give my regards to him and tell him that he should keep firm the threshold of his gate.' When Ishmael came back he asked his wife, 'did anyone call no you?' she replied: 'yes, a good looking old man came to me,' so she praised him and added: 'He asked about you and I informed him that we were in a good condition.' Ishmael asked her: 'did he give you any piece of advice?' she said; 'yes, he told me to give his regards to you and ordered that you should keep firm the threshold of your gate.' on that Ishmael said: 'It was my father, and you are the threshold of the gate. He has ordered me to keep you with me.'
Then Abraham stayed away from them for a period as long as Allah wished and called on them afterwards. He saw Ishmael under a tree near Zam Zam, sharpening his arrows. When he saw Abraham, he rose up to welcome him (and they greeted each other as a father does with his son or a son does with his father). Abraham said: 'O Ishmael! Allah has give me an order.' Ishmael said: 'Do what your Lord has ordered you to do.' Abraham asked: 'Will you help me?' Ishmael said: 'I will help you.' Abraham said: 'Allah has ordered me to build a house here,' pointing to a hillock higher than the land surrounding it.
"Then they raised the foundations of the House (the Kaba). Ishmael brought the stones while Abraham built and when the walls became high Ishmael brought this stone and put it for Abraham who stood over it and carried on building. While Ishmael was handing him the stones, and both of them were saying: 'Our Lord! Accept this service from us, verily, You are the All Hearer, the All Knower.'" [Ch 2:127 Quran]
The Prophet (pbuh) added: "Then both of them went on building and going round the Kaba saying O our Lord! Accept this service from us, verily, You are the All Hearer, the All Knower." [Sahih Bukhari]
Ibn Abbas narrated a slightly different version: "When Abraham had differences with his wife (because of her jealousy of Hajar, Ishmael's mother), he took Ishmael and his mother and went away. They had a water skin with them containing some water. Ishmael's mother used to drink water from the water skin so that her milk would increase for her child. When Abraham reached Mecca, he made her sit under a tree and afterwards returned home. Ishmael's mother followed him and when they reached Kada, she called him from behind: 'O Abraham! To whom are you leaving us?' He replied: '(I am leaving you) to Allah's care.' she said: 'I am satisfied to be with Allah.' She returned to her place and started drinking water from the water skin and her milk increased for her child.
"When the water had all been used up, she said to herself: 'I had better go and look so that I may see somebody.' she ascended As-Safa mountain and looked hoping to see somebody but in vain. When she came down to the valley, she ran till she reached Al Marwa Mountain. She ran to and for (between the two mountains) many times. Then she said to herself; 'I had better go and see the state of the child.' she went and found it in a state of one on the point of dying. She could not endure to watch it dying and said to herself: 'If I go and look I may find somebody.' she went and ascended al-Safa mountain and looked for a long while but could not find anybody. thus she completed seven rounds of running between As-Safa and Al-Marwa. Again she said to herself: 'I had better go back and see the state of the child.' but suddenly she heard a voice, and she said to that strange voice. 'help us if you can offer any help.' lo! it was Gabriel (who had made the voice) Gabriel hit the earth with his heel like this (Ibn Abbas hit the earth with his heel to illustrate it), and so the water gushed out. Ishmael's mother was astonished and started digging."
Abu Al Qasim, the Prophet (pbuh) said: "If she had left the water, (flow naturally, without her intervention, ) it would have been flowing on the surface of the earth."
Ibn Abbas continued narrating: "Ishmael's mother started drinking from the water, and her milk increased for her child. Afterwards some people of the tribe of Hurhum saw some birds while passing through the bottom of the valley and that astonished them. They said: "birds can only be found at a place where there is water." They sent a messenger who searched the place and found the water and returned to inform them about it. Then they all went to her and said: "O Ishmael's mother! Will you allow us to be with you (or dwell with you)?" Then they stayed there.
"Later on her boy reached the age of puberty and married a lady from them. Then an idea occurred to Abraham, which he disclosed to his wife (sarah). 'I want to call on my dependants I left at Mecca.' When he went there he greeted Ishmael's wife and said: 'where is Ishmael?' She replied: 'He has gone out hunting.' Abraham said to her: 'When he comes, tell him to change the threshold of his gate.' When Ishmael came she told him the same and whereupon Ishmael said to her: 'you are the threshold so go to your family (you are divorced).'
"Again Abraham thought of visiting his dependents whom he had left at Mecca, and told his wife (Sarah) of his intentions. Abraham came to Ishmael's house and asked: 'Where is Ishmael?' Ishmael's wife replied: 'He has gone out hunting,' and added: 'will you stay for some time and have something to eat and drink?' Abraham said: 'what is your food and what is your drink?' she replied: 'our food is meat and our drink is water.' he replied: 'O Allah! Bless their meals and their drink.'
Abu Al Qasim (the Prophet)(pbuh) said: "Because of Abraham's invocation there are blessings in Mecca."
Ibn Abbas continued: "Once more Abraham thought of visiting his family he had left at Mecca and he told his wife (Sarah) of his decision. HE went and found Ishmael behind the Zam-zam well, mending his arrows. He said: 'O Ishmael, your Lord has ordered me to build a house for Him.' Ishmael said: 'Obey the order of your Lord.' Abraham said: 'Allah has also ordered me that you should help me therein.' Ishmael said: 'Then I will do so.' So both of them were saying: "O our Lord! Accept this service of us, verily, You are the All Hearer, the All Knower." [Ch 2:127]
When the building became high and the old man (Abraham) could no longer lift the stones to such a high position, he stood over the stone of Al Maqam and Ishmael carried on handing him the stones and both of them were saying: "O our Lord! Accept this service of us, verily You are the All Hearer, the All Knower.""
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